SNCH cancer center given $20k gift

SNCH cancer center given $20k gift

The Long Island 2-Day Breast Cancer Walk (LI2DAY) awarded South Nassau Communities Hospital’s Cancer Center with a $20,000 gift in support of its breast cancer screening, early detection/diagnosis, and follow-up treatment program for underserved and minority patients. This is the second consecutive year that LI2DAY has donated a gift to the program for a combined total of $51,500.

“We are grateful for LI2DAY’s generosity and support of our mission,” said Christine Hodyl, DO, director of Breast Health Services. “The funds will help women with breast cancer, who need special support, transportation, child care and other services, attend their appointments with their doctors to receive the screening and diagnostic mammograms and procedures that they need to fight the disease.”

More than 300 walkers participated in the 2009 LI2DAY walk held June 6 -7, raising $300,000 that is donated directly back to Long Island community-based grassroots organizations. The two-day, 35-mile walk began Saturday morning at Smith Point County Park at the Fire Island barrier beach in Shirley and continued along safe and scenic Suffolk County roads with continuous support from the Suffolk County Police Department, a qualified medical team, and local ambulance personnel. After completing a 20-mile walk on Day 1, participants camped overnight at Cathedral Pines County Park in Middle Island. Walkers completed a 15-mile route back to Smith Point County Park on Sunday.

“South Nassau’s Breast Health Services Program offers a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary breast care program, with a full spectrum of clinical and support services, from screening and diagnosis to treatment and counseling,” said Rajiv Datta, MD, medical director of the Cancer Center, chair of the Department of Surgery, and chief of Surgical Oncology/Head & Neck Surgery. “The program is recognized for its advanced treatment of both cancerous and benign breast problems.”

Early detection is the focus of SNCH’s Complete Women’s Imaging, which offers women the special diagnostic and imaging technologies to detect breast cancer in its earliest stage. Located at 440 Merrick Road in Oceanside, Complete Women’s Imaging is home to two of Long Island’s premier breast imaging specialists: Dr. Abraham Port and Dr. George Autz. Complete Women’s Imaging uses an array of state-of-the-art diagnostic technologies, including digital mammography, high resolution ultrasound and MRI of the breast. Minimally invasive procedures can detect breast cancer long before it becomes a serious threat to your health and wellness.